Cornelius, NC truck route planning & crash data
Plan safer truck routes in Cornelius: commercial truck and garbage truck crashes in Cornelius and Mecklenburg County, dangerous roads, seasonality and route safety data for fleets. Patterns use Mecklenburg County numbers.
Where fatal truck crashes happened
Risk scorecard
Key findings
Snapshot
Crashes by month
Garbage trucks vs all trucks
3.0 deaths per 100 garbage-truck crashes vs 1.5 for all trucks.
Deadliest roads
How Mecklenburg County compares with North Carolina
Mecklenburg County against North Carolina and the US, 2015–2025 (years with complete crash reporting). Per-resident rates make big and small places comparable.
Where Mecklenburg County stands out
Full comparison
| Measure (2015–2025) | Mecklenburg County | North Carolina | United States | vs state |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crashes per 100k residents / yr | 73.1 | 61.3 | 49.7 | 1.2× the state |
| Deaths per 100 crashes | 1.5 | 2.5 | 3.4 | 40% below the state |
| Injuries per crash | 0.66 | 0.66 | 0.49 | same |
| Garbage-truck share | 1.9% | 2.6% | 2.3% | 28% below the state |
| On snow, slush or ice | 0.7% | 1.7% | 6.2% | 59% below the state |
| Morning rush (6–10 am) | 24.6% | 24.0% | 23.7% | same |
| In rain, sleet or snow | 10.3% | 10.5% | 13.8% | same |
| Winter months (Nov–Mar) | 41.0% | 41.0% | 41.9% | same |
| After dark | 21.4% | 20.4% | 24.8% | same |
Mecklenburg County has lower values than North Carolina for deaths per 100 crashes, garbage-truck share and on snow, slush or ice. It runs above North Carolina on crashes per 100k residents / yr.
What stands out in Cornelius: I-77 most fatal truck crashes within 10 miles of Cornelius: 12 since 2015.
Overview
Mecklenburg County has recorded 9,717 truck crashes since 2015, with 6,305 people injured and 150 killed.
In complete reporting years that works out to about 2 truck crashes a day.
With 123 truck crashes reported in Cornelius since 2015, this page uses Mecklenburg County numbers for its patterns and comparisons.
When crashes happen
Truck crashes peak in June (9.3% of the year) and are lowest in December (7.7%).
November through March accounts for 41.0% of truck crashes here, compared with 41.0% in North Carolina.
The busiest hour is 8–9 am, with 7.6% of truck crashes.
Snow, slush or ice was on the road in 0.7% of truck crashes, compared with 1.7% in North Carolina.
Where crashes happen
I-77 leads within 10 miles of Cornelius with 12 fatal crashes involving a large truck since 2015. Next come I-485 (5), SR-150 (3) and SR-16 (3).
Garbage & waste trucks
187 crashes involved a garbage or refuse truck, a 1.9% share (North Carolina: 2.6%).
Their busiest month is April, with 14% of garbage-truck crashes.
Per 100 crashes, garbage trucks recorded 3.0 deaths compared with 1.5 for all trucks.
Route planning tips for Cornelius fleets
- Review driver schedules for June, the month with the most truck crashes.
- Look at alternatives to I-77 at busy times: it leads this area in fatal truck crashes.
- Waste haulers: April is the peak month for garbage-truck crashes in Mecklenburg County.
- Check your own stops for crash hotspots and low bridges with the free Route Planner.
About the data
Crash counts come from the FMCSA crash file (police-reported crashes involving trucks over 10,000 lb); fatal-crash locations come from NHTSA FARS. Text on this page states only what these numbers show.
Crash reporting for 2024 is incomplete; those years are shown in grey and not used for rates.
Truck crashes by year: all trucks vs garbage trucks
Seasonality: when trucks crash in Mecklenburg County
By hour of day
Most dangerous roads for trucks
| Road | Fatal truck crashes since 2015 (within 10 miles) |
|---|---|
| I-77 | 12 |
| I-485 | 5 |
| SR-150 | 3 |
| SR-16 | 3 |
| SR-3 | 2 |
| Alexanderiana Rd | 1 |
| Hugh Torance Parkway | 1 |
| Mt. Holly-Huntersville Rd. | 1 |
| S Main St | 1 |
| SR-152 | 1 |
Roads named most in all truck crash reports
| Road | Truck crashes since 2015 (Mecklenburg County) |
|---|---|
| Brookshire Blvd | 104 |
| N Tryon St | 89 |
| Wilkinson Blvd | 88 |
| Westinghouse Blvd | 79 |
| N Graham St | 77 |
| S Tryon St | 75 |
| Statesville Rd | 70 |
| Albemarle Rd | 69 |
Cornelius at a glance
| Population | 34,366 |
| Land area | 12.7 sq mi |
| Density | 2,707 per sq mi |
| Median household income (ZIP 28031) | $113,368 |
| Median home value (ZIP 28031) | $548,156 |
Waste facilities and haulers nearby
Historical data: truck crashes in Mecklenburg County since the 1990s
Combines the FMCSA crash file (all reported truck crashes, real coverage from about 1990) with NHTSA FARS (fatal crashes involving a large truck, 1982–2024).
| Decade | Truck crashes / yr | Change | Fatal crashes / yr (FARS) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 175 | — | 7.5 |
| 2000s | 486 | +177% | 8.1 |
| 2010s | 839 | +73% | 9.7 |
| 2020s | 765 | -9% | 11.2 |
Reported truck crashes averaged 175 a year in the 1990s and 765 a year in the 2020s. Reporting practices changed over time, so part of any change can come from reporting. Fatal large-truck crashes: 12.0 a year in 2016–19, 11.2 a year in 2020–24.
Nearby places
Questions fleets ask about Cornelius
How many truck crashes happen in Cornelius?
9,717 truck crashes have been reported in Mecklenburg County since 2015, with 150 deaths and 6,305 injuries.
What is the most dangerous road for trucks in Cornelius?
I-77 had 12 fatal crashes involving a large truck within 10 miles of Cornelius since 2015, more than any other road.
Which month has the most truck crashes in Cornelius?
Truck crashes in Mecklenburg County peak in June, with 9.3% of the year's crashes.
Are garbage truck crashes common in Cornelius?
Since 2015, Mecklenburg County has reported 187 garbage-truck crashes, or 1.9% of its truck crashes.
How do truck crashes in Cornelius compare with North Carolina?
The yearly rate is 73.1 truck crashes per 100,000 residents in Mecklenburg County, vs 61.3 for North Carolina.
How do I plan a garbage truck route in Cornelius?
Use the free Route Planner: enter your stops to get a risk score, safer alternatives and the low bridges on your route.
Crash reporting to FMCSA was incomplete in 2024; those years are greyed out and left out of rates. 2026 is a partial year. Updated October 2026.